An Exclusive Sneak Peek into the New Harrah’s Northern California Casino in Buena Vista

The Ledger Dispatch was invited to take a special hard-hat tour of the new facility, see the progress, ask questions and get a sneak peek for our readers; and, of course, we jumped at the chance to quell our curiosity about the new development.

Construction is well underway, but there is still much work to be done before the grand opening.

From the outside, the building features modern and stylish architecture, and is surrounded on all sides with a large parking lot, from which visitors can take in a picturesque view of the area.

Stepping inside, the facility is smaller than many of the larger casinos you may be familiar with, though it is set to boast quite a lot of amenities, including more than 900 slot machines and 20 table games, which will be concentrated together near the middle of the casino floor.

In the front corner of the building will be the casino’s full-service restaurant, which will feature more upscale fare, but a casual environment (no, you don’t have to wear a tie). Though a fairly intimate dining space, it will also feature patio seating. 

Though the casino will not feature a large music venue or conference center, there will be space in the restaurant for local bands to provide live music for diners.

In the back corner of the building will be a small food court, featuring three different dining options. There will be Mexican food, Asian food, and American food — think burgers, fries and other American favorites.

Back out on the casino floor, guests can enjoy a self-serve beverage station while they play. There are also all of the facilities you would expect, including large restrooms, cashier’s cage and so on.

Behind the scenes, we also got to see the large kitchens, in which all of the food will be prepared, and the entrance to more than 400 new employees will use. 

Though the area for guests is entirely on the first floor, we got to take a peek at the upstairs level of the building too, where offices like human resources, security and Tribal Gaming will be housed, as well as training rooms for new employees and an employee dining room.

The facility is a total of 71,000 square-feet and is associated with Caesars Entertainment, so guests will be able to earn Caesars Rewards member privileges and preferred access to Caesars’ resorts and amenities in Las Vegas and around the world.

This week, the new casino took delivery of its first slot machines. Three hundred of the eventual 950 slot machines were delivered yesterday to the busy Buena Vista construction site, as dozens of construction workers labor to complete the building ahead of its original projected opening at the end of April.

Hiring and training continues for what is expected to be more than 400 full-time employees, once the Casino opens. Harrah’s is holding job fairs to fill positions. Construction continues on a number of county roads, including State Highway 88 near Buena Vista Road to prepare for the increase in traffic.